Five Nice Things Eric Never Did
by cmar
Summary: For the 'Five Things' exercise. While Eric was not exactly Mr. Charm, he was capable of being nice. Five things he never did for the other Time Force Rangers, but could have.
1. Strength

Time Force belongs to Disney/Saban. I am using it without permission, but I am not and don't expect to make money from this.

Rated PG: a little minor language.

This is for a fanfiction challenge/exercise which Panache calls 'Five Things that Never Happened' fics. In her words, shamelessly stolen from her own A/N:

_Chose a theme (death, love, AUs etc.) and write a series of five vignettes on the theme (i.e. Five Ways Tommy Never Died, Five Conversations Zordon and Alpha Never Had, whatever). These vignettes aren't necessarily linear or even occurring in the same universe, it's just a chance to play in a microcosm._

Panache and Dagmar have stories on this theme going. Check them out too!

Takes place sometime soon after 'Quantum Secrets'. I confess, the basic idea is stolen from an episode of Timeranger, but only the basic idea. Kindly take a moment to review!

**Five Nice Things Eric Never Did**

* * *

Strength

- - -

_Smile. Be nice,_ Katie repeated to herself as she rang the front door bell of a modest house in one of the poorer suburbs of Silver Hills. _Smile._ She suited action to thoughts and planted a big bright grin on her face as the door opened, revealing a square, harsh, part Asian face which began to scowl the moment its owner saw her.

Eric stared at her for a moment and then craned his neck to look behind her. "Where are the others?" he asked.

"There's no one else. Just me," Katie answered, keeping her smile firmly in place. He didn't even have the manners to say hello.

"You?" Eric's gaze returned, and scanned her from head to foot and back again. With a faint smirk he said, "I told Jen I needed some heavy lifting done."

"And that's what you'll get. Odd jobs are our specialty!"

It had caused some consternation when Jen had gotten a call from Eric on the 'Nick of Time' number, wanting to hire them as if he was just another customer. Which was exactly how Jen had said to treat him. Just another customer. Katie knew she had to do this job and get paid; the overdue bills hanging over 'Nick of Time' wouldn't allow them to turn down any offer of work, even from Eric, not if they didn't want to choose between utilities and eating.

"Heavy lifting," he repeated slowly, as if she was hard of hearing. "I expected Wes and Lucas to show up. Maybe Trip too."

"But you got _me_." It was getting harder to maintain The Smile.

Again those dark eyes raked over her. "You're a girl."

"Are you always this observant?" No, not good. Besides her strength, there was another reason she had been chosen for this job. Eric would just pick a fight with Wes or Jen. He'd bully poor Trip, and Lucas would probably pick a fight with _him_. Katie was the only one Jen figured might get through it without at least an argument. She sighed and held up her hands. "Sorry. Look, I can do your heavy lifting, I promise. You don't have to pay if you're not satisfied."

"Well... okay." Eric sounded doubtful, but he finally moved out of the way to let her in. "But if you pull a muscle or break a nail, don't blame me."

"I think you'll be surprised."

Katie stepped inside and waited for Eric to lead the way through a small but immaculately neat and clean living room, past a kitchen, and into what she assumed was a guest room or study. A packing crate, two trunks, a large suitcase, two armchairs and a loveseat upholstered in an unlikely shade of flowered violet were gathered in the center of the room.

Eric waved at them. "I want to store all this stuff in the attic."

"Okay, no problem. Where are the stairs?"

The stairs pulled down from a large trapdoor in the hallway ceiling. Between them they got the steps lowered into place, and Katie satisfied herself that they were solid and strong enough and that the opening was big enough for the chairs and loveseat. "Okay," she said. "You hold the stairs to make sure they're steady, and I'll take the stuff up."

"I'll have to do most of the lifting," he said. At least this time his eyes didn't examine her in that insulting way.

"No need." She sighed as he looked both skeptical and stubborn. "I'd better show you."

Back in the spare room she circled behind one of the armchairs, took a second to get a good grip, lifted and balanced it on one outstretched hand, watching to make sure it didn't hit the ceiling as she lifted it over her head. When she looked down again, the expression on Eric's face almost made her drop the chair. She lowered it to the floor and then gave in, laughing out loud.

"How the hell did you do that?" Eric exclaimed.

"I'm sorry, shouldn't laugh," Katie gasped, and promptly burst into another fit of giggles. "But you should see your face!"

"I'm glad you think I'm so funny, but I don't see pretty girls lifting a hundred pounds like it was a feather every day!"

"I'm not your everyday girl. And I don't think it weighs more than ninety pounds." Had Eric just called her pretty? Eric? Must have been a slip of the tongue. But maybe that was why she felt like explaining. "I'm from the future, remember? My parents had me genetically modified for extra strength. I can lift a car over my head."

"Oh." Eric was eyeing her again, this time with a wary respect. "I didn't know."

"No reason you should have." Katie shrugged and remembered to put her smile back. It was easier now. "I don't really like to talk about it. Being different and all."

"I see." Eric's face had gone back to its usual cool mask, but there was just a flicker of something more in his eyes.

"Well, I should get moving, shouldn't I?" Katie grabbed the chair again. "Interesting color choice," she remarked.

"Came with the house. I don't like them. Didn't want to just throw them away."

"Makes sense." Katie followed him back to the hallway. Eric was actually having something resembling a normal conversation. With her. The guys were never going to believe it.

- - -

It took over an hour to get everything into the attic and arranged the way Eric wanted it. Katie gave him some advice about ventilation, insisted on putting the dust covers on the furniture herself, and on sweeping up in the spare room. 'Just part of doing a good job,' she said, and he nodded with what she thought was an approving expression.

And he surprised her again, as they stowed the stairs back into their place in the ceiling. "Want something to drink?" Eric asked, a little hesitantly. "I've got soda. Juice. Water, of course. Or I could make coffee."

"Maybe a little water. Thanks."

They stood in the kitchen, Eric fidgeting while Katie sipped her water and tried not to be obviously checking out his home. Neat and clean, like the living room, but with no real impression of its owner's personality. Or maybe that _was_ his personality - bare and stripped down to essentials. No room for excess baggage, like friendship, on his journey through life. One thing didn't fit, though - the birdcage hanging in a corner, with two cheerfully chirping small birds inside. Katie raised a brow but decided not to comment.

As she put down the glass, Eric reached into a pocket and pulled out an envelope. "Jen said I should pay whatever I thought it was worth," he said abruptly, and held it out. "Is that enough?"

Katie took it. The envelope wasn't sealed and she glanced inside, surprised to see more than she had expected. In fact - quickly she riffled through the money and then turned accusing eyes up to Eric. "This is... this is exactly what we need to pay off our bills!" she exclaimed.

"Is it?" But there was a hint of self-satisfaction in Eric's bland look.

"Wait a minute! Did you know we're having money problems? Did you find out from Mr. Collins or something?"

"It's my job to know things." Eric's fingers touched his morpher before he straightened with a decisive air. "You did the work, and I paid. Now if you don't mind..."

Eric's way of making up for taking the Quantum Morpher? Or was he just - trying to help in his own way? Katie decided not to look a gift horse in the mouth and allowed herself to be led back to the front of the house. She stepped outside, blinking in the sunlight, turning just in time to catch Eric's eye as he started to close the door behind her. "Thank you," she said.

He didn't answer, except for the faintest of nods and the even fainter hint of a smile, but Katie found a grin on her own face as she started for the street.

- - -


	2. Speed

Time Force belongs to Disney/Saban. I am using it without permission, but I am not and don't expect to make money from this.

Rated PG: a little minor language.

This is for the 'Five Things that Never Happened' fanfiction challenge/exercise.

A/N: Remember the car Lucas was driving in 'Bodyguard in Blue'? As far as I recall, it never appeared again. This takes place sometime soon after that episode.

Kindly take a moment to review...

**Five Nice Things Eric Never Did**

* * *

Speed

- - -

"Damn," Lucas muttered. He shoved his hands in his pockets and kicked at a rock lying by the roadside. "Damn." No one to hear him, so he repeated it a third time. "Damn!"

Should have known the damn thing would break down at the first opportunity. It was just a cheap piece of junk, after all, not like one of his prize racecars. But the racecars were a thousand years away, and in the here and now they had no money for a decent ride - except Wes, who'd left his car behind when he moved out of his father's house - so here he was, trudging down the highway just outside of town, wondering how much longer it was going to take him to get home to the clock tower.

It was a quiet afternoon, not many cars on the road. While he didn't much like the idea of hitchhiking, after almost an hour of walking in the hot sun Lucas was quite willing to beg a ride. When at last he heard the sound of an engine and saw a car approaching, he shaded his eyes to peer at it with a good deal of interest and raised his arm to wave it down. And then lowered it just as quickly as the vehicle got close enough for him to make out the form of a black SUV marked with the golden Silver Guardians emblem.

Lucas wasn't quite sure if he was glad or sorry as it slowed and pulled over, stopping a couple of yards in front of him. But it shouldn't be a problem. There must be a hundred Silver Guardians in Silver Hills, after all. No reason this particular one would be...

"Oh, crap," he muttered under his breath as the car door opened and a hard-faced man wearing an SG uniform, sunglasses, and a red beret got out far enough to stare at him over the hood.

"What are you doing out here?" Eric demanded.

"What does it look like?" Lucas retorted, irritated at the abrupt and unfriendly tone.

"Well..." Eric looked down the deserted highway and then back at him. "It _looks_ like you're hitchhiking on the side of an interstate highway. Which is illegal."

Caught off guard, Lucas said blankly, "It is?"

A smirk appeared on Eric's face behind the sunglasses. "Yeah, blue boy. It is."

"Oh." Lucas frowned and crossed his arms. "What are you going to do, arrest me?"

He hadn't quite meant the question literally - but he felt a moment of alarm as Eric said, "Give me a good reason not to."

The bastard would probably enjoy throwing him in jail. Lucas gulped at the thought of Jen's face if she had to pay a fine for him on top of whatever it would cost for towing, and gestured down the road. "Look, my car broke down a few miles back. What was I supposed to do?"

"Could have called your buddies."

"They're busy on a job." True enough, Jen, Wes, Trip, and Katie were all out on Nick of Time business. He could have called anyway, but Lucas had wanted to put off the moment when he had to tell them the car he had insisted on using part of their hard-earned money for had broken down, and if he was any judge of engines - which he was - would cost more to fix than it had to buy in the first place.

"Hmmm." Eric continued to consider him, face now expressionless behind the glasses, one hand drumming fingers briefly on the SUV doorframe. Then he sighed with a note of disgust and said, "Get in."

"What?"

"Get in. You'll just get in trouble wandering around out here and I'll probably get stuck bailing you out. I'll take you back to town."

A ride? That was what he had wanted a few minutes ago. But with Eric? Lucas could just picture them sitting in stony silence the whole way. Or worse, Eric pulling his whole usual arrogant, superior attitude, while Lucas would have to just put up with it.

Eric had gotten back into the SUV. He leaned across the seat to push the passenger door open and growled. "Hurry up, willya? I don't have all day."

Accepting his fate, Lucas hurried to get in and snap his seat belt, tempted to point out that U-turns were illegal too as Eric pulled into one before heading back to Silver Hills, but not quite daring to. He contented himself with leaning against the door to put as much distance between them as possible, and tried to calculate how long it would take to get someplace where he could ask to be let out.

"What are you going to do about your car?"

Lucas blinked and frowned. "I dunno. The engine's shot and it'll probably cost too much to fix it," he said gloomily. "Maybe Trip can use the parts for something."

"I _meant_, what are you going to do to get it off the road? You can't just leave it sitting out there."

Abandoning a car was probably illegal, too. Lucas bit back a sharp retort and muttered, "Don't worry, we'll take care of it."

"Thought you guys have those bikes. What do you need a car for, anyway?"

Why was he asking so many questions? Must be the cop mentality. "The vectorcycles are just for when we're morphed, unless we want the whole city to know who we are."

"What are you going to do without it, then?"

"Well..." Lucas shrugged. "We don't _need_ a car, exactly. We can walk pretty much everywhere we need to go. I just wanted one. Back in-- back home, I drive racecars."

"Racecars?"

"Yeah." Lucas felt a smile curve his lips and soften his eyes, the way it always did when he talked about cars, and hardly noticed Eric glancing at him. "I've been racing for years. Just a hobby, of course, but there's nothing like the feeling of flying down the track, knowing nobody's going to catch you, in a car you worked on yourself so you know every little quirk, every response, every vibration, every little sound her engine makes..." He trailed off, a little embarrassed. "You should try it sometime."

All Eric gave him was a non-committal "Huh."

"Of course, I can't afford to have a car like that here, but I wanted _something_. She turned out to be a piece of junk, but I'm kinda going to miss her anyway." Lucas's gloom returned as he eyed the interior of the SUV. "Man, I wish I could have something like this."

"This isn't exactly a racecar."

"No, but it's solid and powerful. Good engine. Good control, especially for an SUV. You guys keep them tuned pretty well. Not very aerodynamic, but..." He reached out to run his fingers over the dashboard in front of him, "I wouldn't mind seeing how fast she can go."

"Fast enough. They get us where we need to be." Eric glanced at him again before adding, "But you'll be back with your racecars when this is all over, right?"

"I hope so." At the moment the possibility seemed very far away - not just of his cars, but of home, of his life that was now a thousand years in the future. "Sometimes it's just hard to wait, you know?"

"We all have to wait for what we really want."

There didn't seem to be an answer for that. As Lucas was wondering exactly what it was that Eric was still waiting for, they turned onto his familiar street and saw the clock tower loom before them. As soon as Eric had stopped in front of the Nick of Time entrance Lucas popped open the car door and climbed out. He turned back to close it and leaned over to the window, summoning a smile. "Thanks for the lift. I appreciate it."

Eric didn't even look up, his profile as expressionless as ever. "I want your junkheap car off the highway," he said over the sound of the engine.

"I said we'll-"

Eric shot him a hard look and interrupted, "You guys'll probably screw up and hire someone illegal. I'll send a Guardians truck to tow it here. After that it's your problem."

Before Lucas could think of anything to say, the SUV was backing up and pulling into the street as if escaping as fast as it could. He watched it go with a puzzled shake of his head. A ride home and his car towed for free. And yet, the guy couldn't say a kind word. Strange - but it was good to have a little glimpse of someone different under the tough, angry shell Eric showed to the world. Someone who might work with them someday, who might even be willing to be friends, or at least not enemies. Someday.

- - -


	3. Regrets

Time Force belongs to Disney/Saban. I am using it without permission, but I am not and don't expect to make money from this.

Rated PG: a little minor language.

This is for the 'Five Things that Never Happened' fanfiction challenge/exercise.

Takes place near the end of 'Destiny Defeated'. Kindly take a moment to review...

**Five Nice Things Eric Never Did**

* * *

Regrets

- - -

Jen kept her eyes on the floor as the sound of footsteps told her someone was approaching. She had hoped no one would notice her sitting as small and inconspicuous as possible in this corner of a quietly busy hospital lobby; no one had asked who she was or why she was there, and that was the way she wanted it. Just a little time away from the conflicts and doubts and the people who had caused them, a little time by herself to think. Was that too much to ask?

Apparently it was. The footsteps - heavy, a long and confident stride - had stopped. Now they started again, headed right for her. Stubbornly Jen kept her head bent as a pair of booted feet planted themselves in her view. She let her eyes drift in that direction enough to see more: laced black boots that ended a few inches above the ankle, navy blue uniform pants tucked into the tops, uncomfortable-looking bulky black kneepads above that.

A Silver Guardian. About to ask her if she was all right and who she was waiting for? Or - the one Silver Guardian who knew her, and who she was? Reluctantly, Jen let her gaze travel up a uniformed body, took note of a red braid over the right shoulder, and without any real surprise found a harsh, dark-eyed face frowning down at her.

"Eric," she said, not as a greeting, just as acknowledgement.

"Jen," he responded in much the same tone, an eyebrow lifting. "Are you waiting for Wes?"

"Yes. Well, sort of," she said, looking away and shrugging as she heard the uncertainty in her own voice.

"Sort of?"

"Well, I thought he probably came here. To see how his father's doing." She looked up again. "Do you know? Is he...?"

"Dead? No. The doctors said he made a miraculous recovery."

"He did?" Jen found herself smiling, for the first time in what felt like years but was less than two days. "Mr. Collins is going to be all right?"

"That's what they say."

Jen thought she saw relief in Eric's expression. Had he been worried about his employer? "I'm so happy for Wes," she said. "Do you know if he's here?"

"Yeah. Brought him myself. He's upstairs with his father." Eric glanced in the direction of the elevators as if wishing he were with them.

"Oh. Good." Jen looked down again. There didn't seem much more to say, even with Eric in such an unusually agreeable mood.

Speaking of which - she expected, and hoped, that he would turn around and walk off again with a casual 'see ya' at that point. But to her surprise, he shifted his weight from foot to foot and then asked, "Is something wrong?"

_No,_ she felt like answering bitterly. _No, almost everything's wrong._ But she couldn't say that, not to Eric. Jen looked up to his face and found guarded but genuine interest there, so unlike his usual blankness or hostility, so unexpected in its hint of sympathy that to her alarm she felt the tears stored inside her begin to well in her eyes. Hastily she turned away and said, "No - no, I'm fine."

Eric surprised her again by sitting down next to her after a brief hesitation. "Did you get hurt in the fight or something?" he asked.

"Nothing like that. Nothing you want to hear about."

"Is it Wes? Or that guy you got to take his place?"

"What?" Jen faced him, startled. "How did you know about that?"

Eric seemed more like his usual self as he smirked, and Jen realized she had just confirmed whatever suspicions he had. "Yesterday when I saw Wes at a Bio-Lab meeting, he didn't have his morpher. When I left he was still there - but when I joined up with you guys to fight Dragontron, the Red Ranger was already with you."

"You're right. 'That guy' was Alex." Jen sighed. "My fiancé," she added, trying to keep her voice steady but not succeeding.

At least she had the small satisfaction of being the one to surprise him this time. "Your fiancé?" he asked.

"Alex was the Red Ranger in the year 3000. When Ransik escaped, he..." She dropped her eyes again and took a breath, determined not to show how much her emotions were betraying her. "We thought Alex was dead. Thought so for all these months, ever since we got here."

"So what happened? He was sure alive when I saw him."

"I don't _know_ what happened!" she cried, all the pent-up frustrations, disappointments, uncertainties, and hurts like a wave that swept over her, too high and deep to be stopped. "After the attack on Bio-Lab, when Mr. Collins got hurt, he showed up. Just came walking up to us. No explanations, no reason why he didn't tell me he's still alive, nothing, just walked in and took over, and made Wes give the morpher back. He's - he's so different; something's changed him, but he won't even talk to me." She shook her head. "He's gotten cold, and hard, even to me. He said he came to make sure history gets back on track, but with him here we almost lost the fight. We can't work with Alex as leader; Lucas and Trip don't like him, even Katie was angry. I begged him to give the morpher to Wes again, and he did, but now... I feel like we've taken everything away from him - his morpher - and - and... I don't know what to do!"

Jen stopped as Eric moved, reaching into a pocket and then holding out a handkerchief. She took it and wiped her eyes, embarrassment overcoming everything else she was feeling, suddenly realizing how much she had said, and to Eric of all people. After blowing her nose, taking an unsteady breath and fighting for control, she was gratified by how much calmer her voice was. "I'm sorry. I shouldn't have said all that. I guess it's just that I can't talk to Alex, and I can't talk to Wes or my teammates about Alex. You're - you're not involved, so..."

"So you felt like you could talk to me."

"Yeah." Jen glanced up at him. "Yeah, I guess so."

She held out the damp handkerchief a little uncertainly, and saw his lips twitch in what could have been amusement. "Keep it," he said. "So - what now? Is Alex staying? Is Wes still going to be a Ranger?"

"I don't know. I don't know if he can get along with the rest of us. If he stays, there'll be problems." Jen sighed. "Alex and Wes... Strange how two people can look almost exactly alike, and be so different on the inside."

"Wait - they look alike?" As Jen nodded, Eric's eyes widened. "The doctor told me he saw someone who looked like Wes but with dark hair, just before Mr. Collins got better. It couldn't have been Wes; that was the same time I was giving him a ride here."

"Alex?" Could Alex have saved Wes's father? He could easily have brought a healing globe or some similar device with him. Was the Alex she had known, the kind and caring man she had fallen in love with, still there somewhere inside the stranger who had walked back into her life? "But why?" she asked. "Why tell Wes his father was fated to die - and then save him without telling us?"

"Maybe he's not such a bad guy after all," Eric said. Struck by something in his tone, Jen looked up to find him staring moodily at the floor. "Maybe he knows he made some mistakes, and didn't treat people the right way, and now he regrets it."

Was he talking about Alex or himself? "Maybe," she said, and glanced around the lobby. "I guess Wes may be a while."

"Yeah, he and his dad must have a lot to talk about."

"I should probably get back. Find out what Alex is planning to do." Jen faced Eric as he stood also. "Thank you," she said sincerely.

"What for?"

She smiled and said, "For the handkerchief," before heading for the door.

- - -


	4. Of Birds and Robots

Time Force belongs to Disney/Saban. I am using it without permission, but I am not and don't expect to make money from this.

Rated PG: a little minor language.

This is for the 'Five Things that Never Happened' fanfiction challenge/exercise.

Takes place near the end of 'Circuit Unsure'. Kindly take a moment to review...

**Five Nice Things Eric Never Did**

* * *

Of Birds and Robots

- - -

"So you see - we need your help!" Trip stopped talking and simply held out his backpack with Circuit's inert metal body visible inside, looking up at the taller man's hard face for sympathy as it scowled even more deeply.

Eric crossed his arms. "I've got better things to do than help you fix a toy bird."

A dozen responses to that jostled in Trip's mind and tried to be first out of his mouth. Circuit was more than just a robot bird; he was a friend and a teammate. He had thoughts and feelings - electronic ones, but still feelings, almost as if he was really alive. Look at the way he had lost confidence in himself today because parts of his memory had been erased - that had created a dangerous situation, but didn't it prove that Circuit was just like a real person?

But maybe someone like Eric would only care that Circuit was one of their most valuable assets: their computer, their resource for information about the mutant criminals, their most reliable way of contacting their own time. That was one of the reasons Trip had come here, to Bio-Lab, in the hopes that they would let him use some of their tools and instruments, the kind he and the other Rangers couldn't afford - they had to fix Circuit because they needed him. That wasn't the most important reason, but it was one of them. Yes, the practical approach was the most likely to get them out of the corner of Bio-Lab's lobby where Eric stood so immovably blocking the way.

But somehow what Trip said in a frantic and indignant rush of words was, "He's _not_ a toy! Circuit just helped disarm that Space Center self-destruct, and then he distracted Serpicon, and he only got broken because he was trying to save me! He's not just a machine! He's my friend!" He clutched the backpack to his chest, giving Eric a glare that he hoped was fierce enough to make an impression.

"That thing is your friend?" Eric's tone was sarcastic.

"Yes, he is! I guess you don't understand that, or - or what it's like to care about anything, even if it's - it's just a bird or a robot!"

Eric's eyes flashed with what Trip knew was anger - but the expression vanished in a moment. "You don't know me as well as you think," he said evenly, stepped back, turned around, and started for the interior of the building. "You coming or not?" he threw over his shoulder.

Trip had to trot to keep up with Eric's longer, angrier strides, and as they wound their way through hallways and around corners he began to wonder if he'd ever be able to find his way back out if Eric decided to abandon him somewhere where no one ever went. It was an interesting place, too; he wished he had time to look inside some of the laboratories and workshops they were passing with only a tantalizing glimpse at the people and machinery inside.

But then he had his chance as Eric stopped so abruptly that Trip almost ran into him. He opened a door and motioned inside, saying, "This is all spare stuff, so I guess you can use whatever you want. Have fun."

Trip entered slowly, looking around at a room that was unmistakably a storage closet - but in this case a storage closet for very well-equipped engineers. It was small and cluttered, and without furniture except for an abandoned-looking bench shoved in a corner. But - the walls were lined with metal shelving, and on them - a jumble of circuit boards, chips, wiring, tools, batteries, power supplies, instruments... "Wow," he breathed reverently.

- - -

Trip had no idea how much later it was when he got up with a sigh of satisfaction from the chair Eric had quietly brought him, stretched, and picked Circuit up for a final look. It was long enough that he had almost forgotten Eric was there, and jumped at the sound of a voice behind him.

"Is that it? Couldn't you fix him?"

Trip turned to find the Silver Guardian on a stool near the door, leaning against the wall with arms folded. "Circuit should be fine," he said. "I just have to reload some parts of his operating system back at the clock tower before I reactivate him. All his circuitry is working, but an overload of current wiped some of his memory layers, and a reload is easier than examining his stored coding for scramble effects-"

"I don't need the details, thanks." Eric got up and reached for the door, but glanced back. "Better put him away before someone sees him. There may be a couple of people in Bio-Lab who haven't figured out who the Rangers really are yet."

"It won't matter much longer," Trip said as he slid Circuit into his backpack. "I'll have to check Circuit's database, but I think Serpicon was the last mutant convict. Ransik doesn't have anyone else to send, and Frax has turned against him." He slung the pack over his shoulder. "So I guess all this is going to be over soon."

"Over?" Eric glanced around as if wondering what his own place would be in a world without Ransik, and frowned.

"Yeah."

Eric opened the door, and Trip followed him out and through the twists and turns of Bio-Lab again as they returned to the entrance. It was quieter now - after working hours, he realized - a few people still sat in offices and a few more in the laboratories they passed, and there were the ever-present Silver Guardians going about their business with purposeful strides and respectful nods for their commander. With a pang Trip realized that soon, if they were lucky, he would be leaving Bio-Lab, Eric, and all of this world - including Wes - behind, a thousand years in the past.

Outside, twilight had fallen over Silver Hills, blurring and softening the sweeping lines of the building they had just left. Eric stopped a few steps outside the door and turned to face Trip. "So I guess you guys will be leaving soon," he said.

"Yeah. Going home." Trip didn't add, _I hope._

"Good." Eric's eyes had drifted to the backpack with Circuit inside. "I had a couple of birds once," he added unexpectedly.

Trip waited for a moment, but Eric said no more than that. Wes had seen the birds, and been surprised by them, and told the others - but that didn't explain... "What happened to them?" he asked.

"I gave them away. I'm not around much. Didn't think I was going to be living here much longer. Seemed like they'd be better off with someone else." He shrugged. "Pets just tie you down. I don't know why I got them in the first place."

But Trip knew, as he felt some trace of what was under the hard, brittle surface of Eric's mind - a loneliness, a deep rootlessness, the darkness of someone with nothing and no one he felt was truly his. What kind of man thought even a bird was too much commitment, yet had turned to their undemanding presence out of the simple need to have something alive in his home when he returned each night?

"Maybe you'll want another one someday," Trip said.

"Maybe." But Eric sounded skeptical.

"I'd better get going." Trip ducked his head. "Thanks."

"Yeah, whatever." But Eric made no move to go as he stuck his hands in his pockets and sighed. "You know, I'm going to kind of miss you guys getting in my way all the time."

"Yeah," Trip said with a grin. "We're going to miss you insulting us all the time."

The harsh line of Eric's mouth softened with a half-smile and a faint chuckle before he started back inside with a "See ya."

"See ya, Eric," Trip murmured, watching him go before turning his face towards home.

- - -


	5. Amends

Time Force belongs to Disney/Saban. I am using it without permission, but I am not and don't expect to make money from this.

Rated PG: a little minor language.

This is for the 'Five Things that Never Happened' fanfiction challenge/exercise.

The fifth and final part. Thanks go out to everyone who was kind enough to review - thanks guys, it means a lot! Special thanks to MzDany for her wonderful betaing.

A big plate of virtual cookies to anyone who recognizes the quote at the end. And as always, please take a moment to review...

**Five Nice Things Eric Never Did**

* * *

Amends  
(Just before and after the end of 'End of Time, pt 3')

- - -

Eric paused before entering Mr. Collins' office and looked around, wondering why this time felt - different. But it _was_ different, of course. So many things felt like last times, now, rightly or wrongly. Determined not to let the somber and reflective mood that had possessed him since before he had gotten out of the hospital show on his face, he pushed the door open and went in.

"Eric!" Mr. Collins smiled from behind his desk, and then got up and circled it to greet him with a handshake. "Good to see you on your feet again. How are you feeling?"

"Fine, sir."

"Good, good." He gestured. "Have a seat."

A few days ago, Eric would have declined politely and shifted into a respectful 'at ease' position. Today - he was still not fully recovered, and knew it. He nodded, sat, and watched Collins return to his own chair.

"I see you have your morpher again," the older man said with a curious lift of his eyebrows.

Eric raised his arm reflexively to glance at it. "Wes gave it back to me. Jen said I could keep it."

"That's great. I know it means a lot to you, and it's certainly good for Bio-Lab and Silver Hills too." Collins studied him for a moment before continuing, "You said you wanted to talk to me."

"Yes, sir." Eric dropped his gaze to stare at his own hands as they clenched nervously. What he had to say would sound strange, he knew, especially coming from him. So many things had changed in the last few days, including things he could hardly explain to himself, let alone someone else. He would have to just say it, and hope it made sense.

"Sir, I want you to offer Wes command of the Silver Guardians."

There was a slight pause during which Eric could feel Mr. Collins staring at him, and then a quietly astonished "Excuse me?"

"The other Rangers are going to be leaving in a day or two. Wes has spent almost a year with them. Working with them. Having a mission. Now, with Ransik gone..." Eric raised his eyes to meet Collins'. "What has he got? His friends will be gone, his home is gone; he's got nothing to fight for anymore. I know what it's like to feel - lost." Eric stopped, aware he had said more than he had intended, and finished with, "I think the Guardians would be good for him. Wes is a natural leader; he'd be good for them, too."

Collins took his time before answering. "I understand what you're saying, and I agree. Wes is going to need something to do that he thinks is worthwhile, after his experience with the Rangers. But what makes you think he'd accept the job? He turned it down before."

"Well - that's the other thing." Eric swallowed. "What about changing the setup? Do pro bono work, maybe patrolling the city along with the police, or protect high-crime areas that can't afford to hire us, for free. We make enough to cover that kind of thing, and it would be great public relations. And - Wes would like it."

"Hmm." Collins looked and sounded thoughtful. "To tell the truth, I've been thinking along the same lines. After everything that's happened, maybe it's time for some changes."

"So will you do it? Sir?"

"I'll have to give it a little more thought, but yes, probably something similar to your idea." Collins' attention returned to Eric full-force. "As for Wes - why give him command of the Guardians? Why not second-in-command, or a partnership? You've been doing an excellent job, and I can tell you like doing it - why would you want to give it up?"

"Kind of hard to explain."

"Try." It was said softly, but it was an order, not a request.

"Okay." Eric began his examination of his own hands again. "Look, you know Wes and I didn't get along for a while after I got here. You probably never heard about the worst things that went on. I resented him for - for a lot of reasons that weren't his fault, and I took it out on him. I'm not proud of that. Wes never did anything but try to be my friend, and to help me, even all the time I was fighting him."

"I see." There was another pause from behind the desk. Eric couldn't quite bring himself to look up at his employer. "So this is - what? Making amends?"

"I guess so." It wasn't quite that simple; the truth was some mixture of guilt, gratitude, and Eric's need to prove to Wes - and himself - that he had changed enough to give up something he wanted, something that gave him power. "I just think giving Wes the chance to take command if he wants it is the right thing to do."

"The right thing." Mr. Collins' thoughtful look had deepened.

"One more thing, sir. If you do it, I'd rather you didn't tell him it was my idea. I don't want him to feel like he owes me."

Collins stood up. As Eric rose also, he came around the desk and held out his hand, smiling. "When I promoted you to commander, I was impressed by your determination and ambition. Now - I know I got a lot more than that."

"Thank you, sir."

"I'll offer Wes the job. But..." Collins dropped a hand on Eric's shoulder. "If I know my son, I think he may have something of his own to say about it."

- - -

'_I think the future looks pretty bright.'_

Eric smiled to himself at the memory of the words Wes had spoken only minutes before. The future did look bright ahead, especially after Wes had accepted his father's offer - and insisted on a partnership. Eric had suspected, and hoped, that he would, but he hadn't been sure until they had shaken hands on it. It would take some adjustment for them to work together, but they could do it. The Time Force Ranger team and the fight against Ransik might have ended, but it was a new beginning too.

He was so wrapped up in his thoughts as he watched the Silver Guardian honor guard that had come to see Jen, Lucas, Katie, and Trip off getting back into their SUVs, that he didn't notice footsteps approaching across the sand of Silver Hills Beach until a voice spoke from beside him.

"I have a question," Wes said.

"Yeah? What?"

"How much did you know about this?"

"About what?" Eric asked.

"You know what I'm talking about. You knew Dad was going to offer me command of the Guardians."

"What makes you think-"

"You didn't go ballistic the second he tried to give me your job. You knew." Wes's eyes crinkled with amusement. "The real question is: how much did you have to do with it?"

"I-" Eric considered denial or evasion, but lies were no way to start a new partnership. So he just smiled and said, "That's between me and your father. I'm not talking."

Wes nodded. "Okay, I can respect that."

"Good." Eric glanced at the SUVs again. "I should be getting back to Bio-Lab."

"Come on, ride with me and Dad."

As they started for the car where Mr. Collins and Philips waited, Wes rested an arm across Eric's shoulders, and grinned. "I think this is the beginning of a beautiful friendship," he said.

- End -


End file.
